Review of health care services at Long Jetty centre

Member for The Entrance, David Mehan, is pushing for a commitment from the NSW Government about the future of Long Jetty Health Care Centre to provide the services the community is asking for.

He said services removed during the COVID-19 response have not returned and a review of the health care centre commenced in May 2022, although in March that year the Minister for Health assured that Central Coast Local Health District was “committed to providing health services from Long Jetty”.

ADVERTISEMENT

In a first for our region, Mehan sought and obtained agreement from Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD) that the community would be able to have input into the review and 371 submissions were received.

“These made it clear that the community expects Long Jetty to continue as a public health facility providing services to the local community,” Mehan said.

“The Government has already announced plans to establish 25 Urgent Care Service centres across the state, in addition to the 13 Urgent Care Clinics being provided by the

Commonwealth,” he said.

“The Long Jetty centre is the perfect location for an Urgent Care Service for our region and the local community.

“The community doesn’t want the healthcare centre remaining idle and the NSW Government is taking way too long in making a decision (about the centre’s future) and the community is fed up,” Mehan said.

In May 2021 the Clozapine Clinic, which was treating 40 people at that time, was relocated to the privatelyowned Kanwal Medical Complex and in October that year the CCLHD said the sub- acute and transitional care services would close for a “minimum of six months to provide additional space to support emerging COVID needs across the region”. CCLHD said at that time that all other community health services based at Long Jetty Health Care Centre, such as the renal dialysis unit, child and family health, mental health and palliative care services would continue to operate without change.

Health District Chief Executive, Scott McLachlan, said on Tuesday “we are committed to continuing to provide health services from

Long Jetty”.

“We have recently reviewed the health services provided there to ensure we are providing services that best meet the health care needs of the local community,” he said.

“Consultation with our staff and local community was an important part of this process, which identified a need to bring together a comprehensive range of whole-of-lifespan primary and community health care services at the centre.

“In the short-term, we will focus on providing a range of community health, chronic disease management and outof-hospital services from the site.

“Co-locating these services together will provide our community with easily accessible, holistic and coordinated care from the one site, that will be refurbished to be more fit-for-purpose.

“In the long-term, we will be further engaging with our stakeholders, including our staff, patients, local community and other health partners, to consider what other services may need to be provided at Long Jetty to best meet the health care needs of the community.” McLachlan said.

Sue Murray